The present invention relates to a magnetic tape cassette accommodating case, and more particularly to an improved case for accommodating audio magnetic tape cassettes for storage.
A magnetic tape cassette used for audio, etc., is usually accommodated in a dedicated case (hereinafter referred to as "cassette accommodating case") when it is stored.
Since a magnetic tape cassette has both a front opening end into which a magnetic head, etc., is inserted when the cassette is loaded into a recording/reproducing apparatus and a magnetic tape which traverses the front opening, the case not only prevents dust from entering the cassette from the front opening, but also protects both the magnetic tape as it traverses the front opening end and the cassette as a whole.
FIG. 1 shows the basic construction of a conventional cassette accommodating case. The case accommodating case 31 is composed of a cover member 32 having a pocket 34 and a casing member 35 having a pair of rotation stopper projections 7. The pocket 34 serves as a space into which the front opening end of stopper projections 7 are inserted into shaft insertion holes 22 of the cassette 20. The cassette accommodating case 31 is designed so that the casing member 35 and the cover member 32 can be opened and closed in the manner of a door by causing support projections to be fitted with throughholes, the support projections being internally arranged on lateral walls of the casing member 35 and the throughholes being provided on lateral walls of the pocket 34 close to its bottom.
The cassette accommodating case 31 is dimensionally designed so that its thickness between two wall portions 33, 36 respectively confronting the upper and lower surfaces of the cassette 20 corresponds to the thickness of a thick portion 21 forming the front opening end of the cassette 20. Thus, the cassette accommodating case 31 has a thickness L.sub.1 that is quite large compared to the thickness L.sub.2 of the thin portion of the cassette excluding its thick portion 21. Therefore, the cassette accommodating case 31 requires a storage space comparatively larger than would otherwise be required for accommodating just the thin portion of the cassette 20.
Thus, if a user wishes to store the cassette 20 in a limited space, e.g., if one wishes to store as many cassettes as possible within a glove compartment or console box of a motor vehicle, there may be some instances where the cassettes are not placed in cassette accommodating cases 31 prior to storage. When a cassette is stored without using the case 31, the cassette is exposed not only to infiltration of dust, which encourages deterioration of the magnetic tape's recording/reproducing performance, but also to damage due to direct impact from dropping, etc.
To overcome the above problems, the applicant has proposed several thin cassette accommodating cases (see, for instance, Japanese Utility Model Unexamined Publications Nos. 163279/1985 and 52782/1988). In these thin cassette accommodating cases, a cassette is accommodated in the case upside down with respect to its position in a conventional case so that its thick portion is positioned on the opening side of the case, and recesses for receiving the thick portion are formed on both upper and lower walls of the case.
An improved cassette accommodating case as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Unexamined Publication No. 52782/1988 will be discussed as an example. As shown in FIG. 2, this cassette accommodating case 11 is arranged so that a cover member 12 having a pocket 14 is pivotably attached to a casing member 15 in a manner similar to the conventional cassette accommodating case, and recesses 18 for receiving the thick portion 21 of a cassette are formed respectively on the opening side of wall portions 13, 16 of the cover member 12 and the casing member 15, the wall portions extensively confronting the upper and lower surfaces of the cassette.
The recesses 18 are formed so as to confront each other toward the interior of the case to such a depth and shape as to receive the thick portion 21.
Accordingly, the cassette accommodating case 11 can be formed so that the thickness between the wall portions 13 and 16 is only slightly larger than the thickness l.sub.2 excluding the thick portion 21, thus achieving an appreciably thin structure compared to the conventional case. Therefore, the required storage space can be reduced, and the ease of use of the cassette is greatly improved compared to the conventional case.
However, the inventors have found that such an improved case still presents problems to be overcome.
Specifically, with respect to magnetic tape cassettes containing recordings of music such as classical music where the musical work is often long, two or more cassettes must be employed to record the work, and such cassettes are sold as a set. However, a conventional cassette accommodating case can hold only one cassette.
Therefore, a user must use care to keep a set of cassettes together, which is inconvenient. Particularly, for language learning tapes and the like, which must be arranged in accordance with a learning program, it is customary to provide a dedicated box.
No consideration has heretofore been given to providing a thinner case that can accommodate a plurality of cassettes, i.e., two or more cassettes simultaneously, nor has any such technical idea been presented.